halsey



(No Model.) l 2 Sheets-Sheet ;P. A.. HALSEY.

STEAM ROGK DRILL. No. 294,999.' v Patented Mar. 1l, 1884.

llnugiml *n y A mewglllm y lUNrrE STATES PATENT EEieE.

FREDERIC A. HALSEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE RAND DRILL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STEAM ROCK-DRILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 294,999, dated March 11, 1884.

Application filed January 16, 1884. (No iiodel.)

To @ZZ 'lu/wut it 'n1/.ity concer/7J:

Be it known that I, FREDERIC A. HALsEY, of the city of New York, in the county and State ofNew York, and a citizen ofthe United States of America, have invented certain Improvenients in Steam Roel Di'ills and Analogous Machines, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, rel'erence'being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. :i

My invention relates to steam rock-drills and analogous machines that are actuated by steam, compressed air, or other elastic `Huid, all of which will be included in this specilication under the name of steam The invention consists in the herein dei scribed and claimedv mechanism relating to the introduction, distribution, and control ot" the steam in said machines, whereby superior simplicity, strength, and durability of parts are secured and economy is attained in the use of steam.

In the full-working machine represented in the drawings, and which I will proceed to de scribe, beside the devices which I intend to claim herein, there are others relating` to preventing the cushioning of the piston at the 'l end ot' its workingstroke and utilizing the residual steam remaining in the upper end of the cylinder after t-he exhaust toV assist in cushioning the piston at the end of its upward stroke and in propelling the piston in its downward'stroke, but these are made the subject matter of separate applications for patents, which I tile simultaneously herewith.

The accompanying drawings represent a steam rock-drill embodying my improvement.

Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the. line .fr x, Fig. 4. Figs. 3, i,

5, and 6 are longitudinal sections taken through vper end of the valve-chest.

cylinder to the valve-chest, which` permits the employment of a piston-valve having but one circumferential groove. Fig. 8 is a modiiication, showing an arrangement of steam-passages a-dapted for the employment of a pistonvalve having three circumferential grooves.

A is the cylinder, and B is the piston,which is elongated sufficiently to afford space for a steam-chest in its middle portion, and also to perform the function of opening and closing the steam-ports hereinafter described.

O is the piston-rod which carries the drill or tool, and D the spiral rod for effecting the rotation of the drill. The middle portion of the piston is circumferentially grooved, and the annular space E between the grooved portion of the piston and the wall of the cylinder serves as a steam-chest to receive steam through the nozzle E, which projects from the side of the cylinder, as shown in the drawings.

F is a valve-chest connected with the side ofthe cylinder, as shown; and G is a single cylindrical valve, fitted to work in acorrespondinglyshaped chamber in saidv chest,

which said-valve is operated by steam introduced into said' chest by ports leading from the steam-chest E. This valve is circumferentially grooved, thus forming annular spaces r/ and g', between the bottom of the grooves and the wall of the`valve-chest. The valvechest is also circumferentially grooved, forming annular spaces gl g5 g gl, Fig. 5. The cylindrical portions betw'een the said annular spaces constitute valveseatsfor the cylindrical portions g2 and g3 of the valve. As will be observed, this single valve, having its several cylindrical and grooved parts in the same.

' axial line, and which is reciprocated by steam which acts only against its ends, performs the office of governing the induction` passages for distributing steam to both ends of the cylinder.

/zy is the inlet-port, communicating between the upper end, H, of the cylinder and the up- It opens into the cylinder at a point where it will communicate with the steam-chest E when the piston is at or near the end of its upward stroke, as seen `in Fig. 5.

76" is a port communicating likewise between the steam-chest E in the cylinder A and valvechest F, near its upper end, opening into the cylinder at a point where it will be uncovered and communicate with the steam chest E when the piston has reached in its upward stroke the position shown in Fig. 4., and will be closed and the steam cut off 'from the upper end of the cylinder by the piston in its downward movement before it has reached the end ot' its downward stroke. ln the drawings the innet` month oi' this port is represented as located where it will be closed and the steam thereby cut cti.' at about half-stroke; but it is obvious that its location may be varied, as may be desirethto shi tt the cut-oil' to any other point ot` the stroke.

'if is the exhaust-portleading from the valveehest.

i', is a steam-passage eonnnunieating between thelower end, d', ofthe cylinder and the valvechest, as shown in the drawings, which l use as both an inlet and outlet port.

l is a port communicating between the cylinder and the valve-chest, and so located that it will be uncovered by the piston and communicate with the steam-chest l when the piston is in, the position shown in Fig. o, the steam being cut ott'ironi the lower end ofthe cylinder at the time that the lower edge of the eireumi'erential groote in the piston passes the mouth ofthe port l', from which time, during the remainder of the upward stroke of the piston, the said port is maintained closed by the lower part ot' the piston, the steam therefore being used expansively during ay portion ot the said npwar 1l stroke ot' the piston.

c is a porticonnuuuicating between thclower end ofthe valve-chest and the cylinder and located, as shown in the drawings, so as to be controlled by the portion ofthe piston below the circumferential groove; and (if is an exhaust-port communicating between the lower end of the valve-chest andthe cylinder A, the same being also controlled by the said lower portion ot' the piston.

The ports 71"`, li, and l', respectively, open into the spaces r/l, ffl, and y* in the valve-chest. rlhe said valve (l is formed, as hereinbeforc stated, of a single cylinder, ot metal, circumferentially grooved, as shown in the drawings, the cylindrical parts iitting with steam-tight joints into the said valve-seats. The heads 71 and hm ofthe valve-chest, at either end, against which the ends ot the valve abut, proj ect into the chamber with reduced diameters, thus respectively providing steam-spaces in the valrechest at the ends ot' the valve when the valve is in contact with said heads, which communicate, respectively, with ports.

E2 is a longitudinal groove or recess in the cylinder, communicating` with the steam-chest E, formed in the cylinder by the circumferential groove, and into which opens the steamsupply pipe E, that communicates with the boiler. This groove E2 permits the circumferential groove in the piston, and ot" course the piston itself, as well as the cylinder, to he :made considerably shorter than :it would otherwise have to be, in order to maintain constant communication between the pipe lll and the said steam-chest, and yet permit the piston to have the requisite length of stroke.

rllhc operation ofthe said devices is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 3, the steam enterin through the stcanxchest .E will pass through the port ll into the port i', through the annular space l'ormed by the groovef/ into the lower end, il', el' the cylinder, and throw thepiston upward. lVhenthe pistou thus begins its upward movement, the steam from the steam-chest li is acting against the lower end of the valve G and holding itin the position shown in said ligure, the exhaustport t# being closed. As the piston moves upward, it will iirst close the port c, then the port l, cutting ott' the steam trom the lower end, J, of the cylinder, 'from which point the steam will act expansivcly to accomplish the remainder of the upward stroke. lt 0bvious that the location ot' the inner mouth of port l may be varied to cut ol'f steamv from the lower end ot' the cylinder at any desired part of the upward stroke.' ,lhe exhaustport G is also opened by this upward movement of the piston. \Vhen said piston has reached the position shown in lfig. 5, it will uncover the inner mouth, 7:7', ot' the port 71, and thereby admit steamr into the upper end ofthe valve-chest, whereby the "alve will lie-'thrown downward into the position shown in Figs. 5 and {5,thus closing tliecommunieation through the aunularspace between the ports Iand i, and

opening communication through the annular space between and thus closing the inletport to the`lower end ot' the cylinder, even when the port I is opened by the piston, and opening the channel i'or exhausting I'rom the lower end ofthe cylinder, also, by the uncovering ofthe port 71, steam is admitted into the upper end, 71, ofthe cylinder.

H is an exhaust-port opening through the wall ot the cylinder and controlled by the piston through which the steam exhausts from the upper end of the cylinder, it being uncovered by the piston inst before the piston finishes its downward stroke, as shown in lfig. (i. On the lower end ot' the cylinder the steamexhausts through the passage i into the port /i/ through the annular space g, which is opened by the downward shit't of the valve in the position shown in Figs. 5 and (3. rl`he piston will now begin its downward movement, and close successively the inner mouths of the ports 71y and 712, thereby cutting ot'f the steam from the upper end of the cylinder, when, ot.' course, from this p oint the steam will act expansively to accomplish the remainder of the downward stroke. rPlien, as the piston continues its downward movement, it will uncover the port l, but as the communication between I and i is at the moment closed, steam .is not then admitted to the lower end ofthe TOO l'lO

cylinder through said port t'. The piston next uncovers'the port e, after closing the exhaustport G', steam being thus admitted to the lower end of the valve-chest from the steamchest through said port e, and operating to throw the valve upward, the steam at the upper end ofthe valve-chest being at the moment exhausting through ports h and h the upper end of the cylinder and exhaust-port H, by which movement of the valve communication is opened between I and fi, and steam is again admitted into the lower end of the cylinder.

I have nowdescribed a machine in whichis embodied myimprovement, the essential characteristic of which is the employment, in combination with an elongated circumferentiallygrooved piston,of a single steam-moved valve, by which, in connection with suitable steampassages, steam is conducted to both ends of the cylinder, and is also cut off therefrom7 so as to be used eXpansively, as described. But various modifications may be made in the induction-passages and form of the valve, while the said essential characteristic is preserved.

As illustrations, I have represented two such modications in Figs. 7 and 8.

As shown in Fig. 7, the valve Ghas but one circumferential groove, the upper or righthand end of the valve is like that already described, but the lower or left-hand end consists of but one swell instead of two, being in that respect like the uppei1 end. In the position shown the passage z' is in communication with the exhaust as it is in Fig. 5. Communication between 'L' and the ind notion-port I is established when the valve moves to the right by the left-hand end of the valve registering with the right-hand edge of the-port i.

Figure 8 represents a further modification in the valve, which consists in providing it with three circumferential grooves, so that each end of the valve consists of two swells. The left-hand end in this case is exactly the same as the one first described 5 but the righthand end has two swells instead of one. In the position in which thev parts are shown in l Fig. 8 the piston has completed its workingstroke, the valve has been reversed, and they passage 2 is in communication with the induction-port I. When the piston has moved upwardV sufficiently to uncover the lower leg of the passage 7L, steam is admitted from the steamchest into the upper end of the valve-chest, the mouth of the upper leg, 715of the passage hs being at that time covered by the elongated upper end of the piston. By the admission of steam through the passage h6 the valve is .driven to the left and establishes'communication between the induction-port h2 and the passage h, leading to the upper end, H, of the cylinder. By this left-hand movement of the valve communication is also established between the passage t and the exhaust i.

In all the modifications of the form of the valves and the positions of the steamepassages and ports the distinguishing characteristics of the mode of operation are the same in respect of the facts that in each instance a single valve governs the distribution of steam to both ends of the main cylinder by opening the communication from the steam-chest andthe ports, which respectively supply steam to the Opposite ends of the cylinder, while the cutting ofi' of the supply is-in all cases effected by the movement of the main piston.

The germ of the two modified forms of valves and arrangements of passages and of other modified forms which will readily suggest themselves is contained in the form of valve first described, in which the left-hand end of the valve is double-that is, it has two swells and the right-hand end single. In the form of thevalve represented in Fig. 7 both ends are single, and in that represented in Fig. 8 both ends are double. It will of course be seen that the form of the original may be exactly reversed-that is, the left-hand end may be single and the right-hand end double. Vtith the single-ended valve the steam passes through the end of the valve-chest on its way to the main cylinder, while with the double-ended valve it passes through the annular groove between the two swells, both of which methods of operation are characteristic of the form ot' valve first described.

It will be observed that thevalve G is shifted .downward by the difference in.pressure be- -tween the live steam at its upper and the eX- panded steam at its lower end. The advantage of this operation is that while the valve is shifted quickly enough the force of its concussion against thelower end of the valve-chest is less than it would be it' at the lower end there were no resistance to its downward movement, thus rendering the valves less liable to break or get out of order.

In three separate applications, numbered, respectively, 110,082, (tiled October 26, 1883,) 117,723, and 117,724, the latter two iled simultaneously herewith, I have claimed several of the devices herein described, namely: In No. 110,082 I have claimed the inea-ns for controlling the transmission of steam for preventingits premature introduction to the lower end of the cylinder and the consequent cushioning 0f the piston thereon. In No. 117,723 I have claimed the means for confining and compressing the residual steam in the upper end of the cylinder, and in No. 117 ,724c I have claimed the combination of the means for preventing the premature introduction of steam to the lower end of the cylinder, with means for using steam expansively.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a steam rock-drill or analogous inachine, the cylinder, the elongated circumferentially grooved piston, and the described means for distributing the steam to both ends of the cylinder, together with steam-induction tial chamber of the piston, and located, one or all, relatively to the piston, as described, so that the piston, in its either stroke, closes the respective inlet-ports before it reaches the limit ot' its stroke, whereby the steam is used expansively during a portion of the stroke of the piston, as specified.

2. In a steam-rock drill or analogous machine, the cylinder and elongated circumferentially-groovedpiston, andthe induction and eduction steam passages for distributing steam to the cylinder, substantially as described, and the single eircumterentially grooved steammoved valve working in the described chambered valve-chest, and co-operating with the piston to distribute the steam to both ends of the cylinder, all constructed and arranged to operate as and for the purpose specified. y

3. In a steam rock-drill or analogous machine, the cylinder, the elongated circnmierentially-grooved piston, the described circumferentially-grooved steam-moved valve inthe described valve-chest, and the steam passages or ports located relatively to each other and to the piston and valve, as described, whereby, while said valve operates to control the distribution of steam to the ends ofthe cylinder, the piston operates directly as a cut-oil to the inletports. as speeiiied.

et. The combination, in a steam rock-drill or analogous machine, ofthe cylinder A, the elongated circumferentially-grooved piston B, valve-chest I?, single valve G, the steam-inlet port I, and the exhaust-passage fi, and the passage 1', which serves both as an induction and eduction port i'or the lower end of the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a steam rock-drill or other analogous machine, the combination of the cylinder A, elongated circumterentially-groovcd piston B, single valve G, valve-chest F, and the steaminlet port e, controlled directly by the said piston, and communicating between the steamchest E, formed by the circumferentialgroove in the piston and the lower end of the valvechest, whereby steam is introduced into the lower end of said valve-chest from the said steam-chest in the cylinder, as and for the purpose described.

ti. In a steam rock-drill or other analogous machine, the combination of the cylinder A., elongated cireumfercntially-groovcd pistonB, valve G, and the valve-chest F, with the steam'- passage It opening at 011e end into the upper end ot' the cylinder, and atthe other end into a branch passage, hf', controlled by the piston, and opening at one end into the upper end of the valve-chest, and at the other end into the cylinder, whereby steam is introduced from the steam-chest in the piston, both into the upper end ofthe cylinder and the upper end oi' the valve-chest;substanti ally as and for the purpose described.

7. The cylinder provided 'with the longitudinal groove El, and the supply-pipeI, com municating therewith, and the elongated piston provided with the circumferential groove, forming a steam-chest in the cylinder communicating with said groove EL., asA and for the purpose described.

S. In a steam rock-drill or analogous machine, the cylinder, the elongated circumferentiallygrooved pistou, and the described means for distributing the steam to the cylinder, the combination, with the piston, of an inlet-passage to conduct steam from the circumferential chambcrin the piston, to bc distributed "to theupperend ofthe cylinder, said passage being governed bythe piston, and l0v cated relatively thereto, as described, so that the piston, in its upward stroke, closes said passagebcl'ore reaching its termination, wherebythe steam is used expansivelyduring a portion o1" the upward stroke, as specified.

E). In combination with a steam moved valve, means for introducing live steam into one end ofthe valve-cl1cst,wl1ilc the other end ofthe valve-chest is in connnunication with the end of the main cylinder containing eX- panded steam, whereby the valve is moved by the excess oi' the pressure of live steam acting upon one end ot' it over the pressure ol expanded steam acting upon the other end ol'it.

FREDERIC A. IIALSHY.

Witnesses:

A. G. N. Ynnwirvr, A. S. Frren'. 

